The Team Nutrition Grant Project began in 2003 with the goal to guide and assist schools to create and maintain a coordinated, comprehensive school health program. Such a program integrates a school’s child nutrition programs, with the classroom, the community, and entire school environment. A coordinated, comprehensive school health program (CSHP) can be implemented to create a healthy school environment through a “model” nutrition policy. Using the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service Team Nutrition’s Changing the Scene, A Guide to Local Action, the project proposed to implement the model at a state level by forming a state level coalition of key decision makers within the school environment.

While we may view climate change issues as a more global or national problem, our unique Sonoran Desert ecosystem is a recognized global resource; hence climate change is an important consideration in how we manage and protect our fragile desert ecosystem. This discussion is designed to promote local awareness of how climate change may impact our resources.